Today's AI stock trade ideas: August 14, 2026
The S&P 500 is up 0.65% and the Nasdaq up 0.81% as cooling inflation data removes the September rate-hike risk. A string of blowout earnings and fresh hyperscaler capital commitments have set up clean directional setups. Eight ideas below, ranked by conviction. Scores: Conviction (1-10, higher is stronger); Risk (1-10, higher is riskier); percentage columns estimate the probability the idea works in those windows.
The scoreboard
| # | Ticker / Play | Type | Entry | Stop | Target | Conv. | Risk | 1wk | 1mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NVDA | Stock Long | $222-226 | $210 | $250 | 8/10 | 5/10 | 62% | 72% |
| 2 | NET | Stock Long | $325-333 | $308 | $365 | 8/10 | 5/10 | 65% | 70% |
| 3 | PLTR | Stock Long | $175-180 | $162 | $200 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 55% | 62% |
| 4 | NVDA $240 calls (exp Aug 28) | Options | ~$2.87 | $1.00 | $8-12 | 7/10 | 9/10 | 40% | - |
| 5 | ORCL | Stock Long | $150-157 | $140 | $175 | 7/10 | 5/10 | 58% | 63% |
| 6 | CRM | Stock Long | $197-202 | $188 | $218 | 6/10 | 5/10 | 52% | 58% |
| 7 | GOOGL | Stock Short | $348-354 | $362 | $325 | 6/10 | 5/10 | 50% | 55% |
| 8 | AMD | Stock Short | $484-490 | $505 | $450 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 45% | 50% |
1. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA): Long
The top ai stock to buy now with earnings 12 days away. On August 10, Nvidia confirmed memorandums of understanding with Apollo Global Management, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs, and KKR to mobilize over $500 billion in AI infrastructure capital, per Vantage Markets. The stock is up 6% over the past month, sits 7.7% above its 20-day average, and shows steady accumulation rather than a vertical spike. Stop below $210 where recent support sits; the thesis confirms if NVDA holds $215 through next week.